After the win against Cremonese, in which he scored the final goal of the game, Rafael Leao spoke to the media and stated that the win was ‘crucial’ ahead of the derby.
Milan needed two late goals to secure the three points, having missed some big chances, and the No.10 was responsible for a couple of them himself. Indeed, despite the tap-in at the end, he actually received a poor score in our player ratings.
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Either way, speaking to DAZN after the game (via MilanNews), Leao said that the players are looking forward to the derby and that today’s win was crucial in that sense. Of course, in that game, they will need to convert their chances.
On the game…
“We have a strong group with good players. The coach has brought us experience and created a great atmosphere. The substitutes were important, like Ricci, Fullkrug, Nkunku, and Athekame. And also Estupinan. If he hadn’t given that ball to Modric, the cross for 1-0 wouldn’t have arrived. These are details, but they’re important.”
On the target for the season finale…
“Our goal is to return to the Champions League. This match was crucial to get the three points and finish in the Champions League zone.”
Now comes the derby…
“We needed to finish the match well and win. We won. It will be a different game against Inter, I wouldn’t say decisive. But the derby is always a personal match for all of us. We are going there with all our respect for Inter, who are a great team, but with the desire to get a result.”
What is the derby for you?
“It’s a really great match to play. When the week starts, it has a certain weight, even outside Milan. Everyone enjoys playing these games. I ask my teammates to give it their all and take it personally, because it’s a do-or-die match.”
In addition to Leao, Pulisic also missed a good chance in the first half and looked visibly upset after getting subbed off. As such, if the two are to continue as the starting duo up front for Milan, they will need to start converting the big chances.
